Dear Ministers,
I represent Quit Club, a community of people trying to quit smoking. We're asking you to stand up for harm reduction and protect the health of Canadians by pushing back against the federal government's misguided crackdown on a new and very effective smoking cessation product. These rules undermine Canada’s smoke-free goals, hurt rural communities, and will drive up healthcare costs.
Over a year ago, Ottawa imposed new rules that limit access to nicotine pouches to consumers. Products that, just introduced recently and approved by Health Canada, helped so many of us quit or cut down. This heavy-handed move came with no real consultation, and it’s hurting people trying to quit.
Nicotine pouches are one of the most effective quit aids around — Health Canada even authorized them as a “nicotine replacement therapy.” By pushing these products out of reach, Ottawa has set back smokers’ quit attempts. Every new barrier means more people will just give up and keep smoking.
The federal government says it wants to reduce smoking, yet it’s now easier to buy deadly cigarettes than a safe nicotine pouch. Even the Opposition calls this double standard “the height of hypocrisy.” Meanwhile, Ottawa champions harm reduction for opioid addiction but pushes nicotine products into the black market. That sends the message that quitting is harder than smoking, and it defies common sense and evidence.
“We empathize with adult Canadians — especially those who’ve struggled with nicotine addiction — who are upset at these bans... We will study this issue with an eye toward protecting freedom of choice and the health of our children,” said a letter from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
These nicotine pouch restrictions hit rural and small-town communities the hardest. Until the ban, smokers in remote areas could buy pouches at their local store; now in some cases consumers must drive hours to find a pharmacy that carries them. We know from experience that if a quit aid isn’t easy to get, a smoker will just buy cigarettes. This outcome was totally predictable and completely avoidable.
Canada says it wants smoking rates below 5% by 2035, but these actions move us further from that goal. The only country to achieve under 5% smoking is Sweden, and they did it by embracing nicotine pouches and other smokeless alternatives instead of banning them. Canada should be learning from that success, not doing the opposite.
Maybe most concerning, Ottawa’s misguided policy will drive up healthcare costs for provinces. Tobacco is still Canada’s leading cause of preventable death, killing about 45,000 Canadians a year. Nearly 4 million Canadians still smoke, and smoking-related diseases are straining our hospitals. If smokers can’t get safer alternatives and quit aids, more will keep smoking and end up in the healthcare system. Ottawa is adding to provincial health costs while failing to provide new health transfers to cover them. That’s just not fair.
Because of all this, we're asking you, as provincial health leaders, to raise this with federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel. Your voice matters. If you stand together against harmful federal policies, Ottawa will listen. Specifically, we urge you to:
Highlight harm reduction’s importance in tobacco control: Remind Minister Michel that harm reduction is key to any plan to cut smoking. We know this firsthand: quit aids like pouches, vaping, and other lower-risk products complement traditional methods and reach smokers that patches or meds can’t. Federal policy should make it easier, not harder, for smokers to quit.
Demand evidence-based decisions and real consultation: Insist that Health Canada use solid research and actually consult the people affected when setting rules. The rushed 2024 nicotine pouch ban was imposed without asking those it hurt — folks like us who were using pouches to finally get off cigarettes.
Advocate to reverse the nicotine pouch ban: Push Ottawa to scrap the pharmacy-only rule and flavour ban on nicotine pouches.
We need your leadership. By standing together against the pouch ban and championing harm reduction, you can help get Canada back on track for the smoke-free future we all want. Canada has led the way in tobacco control before, and with your help, it can again. Millions of Canadians who’ve struggled with smoking are watching and counting on your support. We’re happy to provide more info or connect you with folks in your province who’ve used these products to quit.
Sincerely,
Asha Stone, Founder and Community Lead of Quit Club
